MANILA: The Philippines is preparing to showcase its gaming talent at the Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh later this year, after Filipino players qualified to compete for at least two titles in the inaugural competition.
Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural ENC in November. The cup is set to become a biannual, nation-based esports event in which hundreds of players from more than 100 countries will compete for 16 esports titles across four weeks.
This year, it has a prize pool of $20 million for players and coaches.
A five-member Philippine team has qualified for the ENC’s League of Legends tournament, while another Philippine team secured a direct invitation to compete in the Valorant tournament after placing among the top 10 in the game’s official rankings.
“The Esports Nations Cup is, like, the biggest competition aside from the Olympics because there are countries from all over. You’re not limited to Southeast Asia or Asian countries competing. You have European countries, American countries. It’s interesting for us,” Marlon Marcelo, executive director of the Philippine Esports Organization, which was established in 2011, told Arab News on Saturday.
